More than 23% of participants reported all four types of IPV (forced intercourse, molestation, physical aggression with and without a weapon), 32.4% experienced three of the four types, 25.5% experienced two types, 7.8% experienced one type, and 10.8% denied any incidents of IPV.

More than half of the participants reached the diagnosis for significant depressive symptoms and one in five (22%) reached a diagnosis for PTSD symptoms.

A majority of participants (87%) reported substance use with 72% of participants reporting substance dependence criteria.

Description

In the article, “Looking Beneath the Surface: The Nature of Incarcerated Women’s Experience of Interpersonal Violence, Treatment Needs, and Mental Health,” Lynch and her co-authors examine the intimate partner violence (IPV) and mental health experiences that incarcerated women report to better understand how to treat and rehabilitate them. The researchers administered a variety of mental health evaluations to 102 incarcerated women from a northwestern state prison over a three-month period. The results showed that 90% of women reported physical and sexual violence from their partners in the past year. Seventy-nine percent of respondents reported IPV in their lifetime with 70% reporting forced intercourse, 55% reporting forced sexual contact, and 43% indicating being attacked with weapon. Participants reported physical abuse (56%), sexual violence (43%) experiences as beginning in childhood. More than 23% of participants reported all four types of IPV (forced intercourse, molestation, physical aggression with and without a weapon), 32.4% experienced three of the four types, 25.5% experienced two types, 7.8% experienced one type, and 10.8% denied any incidents of IPV. More than Half of the participants reached the diagnosis for significant depressive symptoms and one in five (22%) reached a diagnosis for PTSD symptoms. A majority of participants (87%) reported substance use with 72% of participants reporting substance dependence criteria. Women who identified as ethnic minorities reported significantly higher rates of depression. In conclusion, the authors note the need for effective mental health treatment for incarcerated women.